Device for expanding bags for filling



NoNS, 1956 M. RUDERMAN 2,770,084

DEVICE FOR EXPANDING BAGS FOR FILLING Filed March 30, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. MANUEL L- RUDERMAN BY 2 I Nov. 13, 1956 M. RUDERMAN DEVICE FOR EXPANDING BAGS FOR FILLING Filed March 30, 1554 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. MANUEL L. RUDERMAN Nov. 13, 1956 M. RUDERMAN 2,770,084

DEVICE FOR EXPANDING BAGS FOR FILLING Filed March so, 1954 4 Sheets-Shet a I I 6 46 5 54 77 I n Z mmvrozc MANUEL L. RUDERMAN Nuv. 13, 1956 M. RUDERMAN 2,770,084

DEVICE FOR EXPANDING BAGS FOR FILLING Filed March 30, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 mmvrozm MANUEL- L. RUDERMAN United States Patent 2,770,084 DEVICE FOR EXPANDING BAGS FOR FILLING Manuel L. Ruderman, New York, N. Y.

Application March 30, 1954, Serial No. 419,691

8 Claims. (Cl. 53189) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in package machines.

More particularly, the present invention proposes the construction of an improved bag package machine which can be used to pack any size or shape product, and hard, soft, bulky or fiat products, neatly and efficiently in almost any type bag.

Still further, the present invention proposes constructing the bag packager so that it will readily open polyethylene bags or other bags that are affected by static electricity or tackiness.

Another object of the present invention proposes arranging the bag package machine for easy filling of gusset bags, square bags and Saran based bags.

As a further object, the present invention proposes forming the bag package machine with a feed table and a bag holding shield constructed and arranged so as to dispose bags in a position for automatic opening by forced air and so they will remain open for filling without the insertion of any device or other means.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the bag package machine of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1 with parts broken away and with the extended position of the product guides shown in dot-dash outline.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the bag package machine with parts broken away and some parts shown in dotted outline Fig. 5 is a side view of the machine with the feed table indicated in dotted outline in its lowered position.

Fig. 6 is a rear end view of the machine.

Fig. 7 is a front end view of the machine.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the machine similar to that shown in Fig. 5 but with several bags on the table.

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 but showing the table in raised position and the top bag held open by air pressure for filling.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken on line 1010 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view taken on line 11-11 of Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Fig. 8 but of the front end of the machine only.

Fig. 13 is a diagrammatic pictorial view illustrating the first motion of the operator in packaging with the machine.

Fig. 14 is a view similar to Fig. 13 but illustrating the second motion of the operator in packaging.

Fig. 15 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating a modification of the present invention.

Fig. 16 is a side view of the structure shown in Fig. 15 with parts broken away and with the two-piece product guides extended.

Fig. 17 is a fragmentary top plan view of a portion of the structure shown in Figs. 15 and 16 and with parts broken away and some parts shown in dotted outline.

Fig. 18 is a perspective view of another set of product guides illustrating another modification of the invention.

The bag package machine, in accordance with the first form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 14, inclusive, has a frame 15 which is in box form with a bottom 16, sides 17 and 1S, and front and back panels 19 and 20, respectively.

Feet 21 are provided on the bottom panel 16 to ground the machine, and a top cover panel 22 covers the rear portion of the machine and is removably held to the side panels 17 and 18 and to back panel 20 by screws 23.

Mounted in the frame beneath the top cover panel 22 is a blower 24 having a fan 26 driven by an electric motor 27. A switch 28 and a warning lamp 29 are mounted on the outside of the back panel 20 of the frame and the switch is connected with the motor 27 through the lamp 29 by wires 30 and 31. An electric cord 32 with a plug 33 connects the switch, motor and lamp with a source of electric current.

- A fiat bottom air guide or sheet 34 is mounted in the frame with its rear end disposed beneath the air outlet opening 35 of the blower 24. The bottom air guide 34 extends from the blower 24 and is upwardly inclined from the blower toward the front of the machine. A prop or brace 36 at one end of the bottom air guide 34 and a bolt 37 at the other end hold the guide in place. Bottom air guide 34 has a bag holding free end portion 33 extending in front of brace 36 and which is arcuately curved.

Side air guides 39 and 40 are mounted in the frame on the bottom air guide 34 held at each side of the blowers air outlet opening 35 on the guide 34 by bolts 41. The side air guides are spaced apart in diverging relation at their rear ends and converging toward their front ends. The front ends 42 and 43 of the side air guides 39 and 40 terminate behind the bag holding free end portion 38 of the bottom air guide 34 and are spaced substantially in from the side panels 17 and 18 of the frame 15.

A bag holding table 44 is movably mounted in frame 15 having its front end 45 pivotally connected to front panel 19 of the frame by a hinge 46. The rear end 47 of the feed table 44 is disposed beneath the bag edge hold ing free end portion 38 of the bottom guide 34.

Spaced contour blocks 48 are provided on the table 44 at each side thereof. A bolt 49 extends through the table at the front end of the table and a bag end holding member 50 is mounted on the table by the bolt 49. Member 59 has a slot 51 to receive the bolt 49 and to permit the member to be fixed at different distances from the ends of the table. Member 50 also has a straight back leg 52 and a curved or crooked upper end 53 which extends over the table at the front or pivoted end of the table.

A stifily flexible bag holding shield 54 of cardboard or the like rests on the feed table 44 on and between the contour blocks 48 and the shield or sheet 54 is removably held to the table by the bag end holding member 59, a rear end portion of the shield underlying the bottom leg 55 of the bracket-like member 50.

Lever 56 extending through side panel 17 of the frame 15 provides means to raise and lower the feed table 44. A leaf spring 57 is connected at one end by a hinge 58 to the front'panel 19 of the frame beneath the feed table and the front end 59 of the spring 57 is adapted to bear against the bot-tom of the table near the back or free end of the table. The lever 56 has a bolt 60 secured to its inner end and adapted to bear against the leaf spring 57 when the lever is raised to raise thefront end 59 of the spring against the bottom of the table and to raise the table, that is, to pivot it so that the front end of the able underlies and is adjacent the bag edge holding free end portion 38 of the bottom air guide 34.

A pair of spaced product guides or horns 61 and 62 are mounted over the bottom air guide 34 on the frame 15. The rear ends of the guides 61 and 62 are secured to U- shaped pivot posts 63 and 64, respectively, which are pivotally mounted in the frame. The lower ends 65 and 66 of the pivot posts 63 and 64 are disposed toward the front of the machine and are connected by a coil spring 67 so as normally to hold the posts pivoted so that the front ends or mouth ends 68 and 69 of the guides 61 and 62, respectively, are drawn together.

The front ends 68 and 69 of product guides 61 and 62 are disposed adjacent to and behind the bag edge holding free end portion of the bottom air guide 34.

Blocks 70 and 71 are pivotally secured at their rear ends by pins 72 to side panels 17 and 18 of the frame. The front ends 73 and 74 of the blocks 70 and 71 are provided with cross slots 75 to receive bolts 76 with wing nuts 77. The blocks 70 and 71 can therefore be moved in the same manner as the product guides 61 and 62 and serve as stop means to limit the opening of the product guides.

The feed table 44 like the bottom air guide 34 is inclined even in its raised position when in such raised position there is a continuous slope or inclination of the table and bottom air guide upwardly from the bottom air guide to the table and from the back to the front of the machine.

The machine is operated in the following manner. Bags 78 are stacked on the feed table with the open ends of the bags facing the free end of the table. The side edge portions of the bag lie on the shield 54 and over the contour blocks 48. The closed ends of the bags abut the upstanding back leg 51 of the bag end holding member 50, the top bag being under the upper end 53 of member 50.

The table 44 is raised by lever 56 until the front edge of the top bag is pressed against the bag edge holding portion of the bottom air guide 34. The blower is then turned on and air traverses the path between the air guides. erator then releases the top edge 79 of the uppermost bag 78 by thumb pressure, as is illustrated in Fig. 13. The air flow from the blower through the guides immediately inflates the bag, the bag end holding member 50 preventing dislocation of the bag from the table by the air. The operator then inserts the product 80 through the product guides which guide it into the bag, as illustrated in Fig. 14. Operation is effortless and nontiring.

The provision of the lateral or side air guides 39 and 40 together with the positioning of their front ends 42 and 43 are designed for efficiently expanding the polyethylene or other bags.

The modification of the present invention illustrated in Figs. 15, 16 and 17 is characterized by the provision of a pair of product guides 81 and $2, each being formed in two pieces 83 and 84 and each piece being angle-shaped in cross section with flat tapering legs 85 and 86. The legs 85 of the two pieces 83 and 84 are hinged together at a pivot point 91. The two pieces 83 and 84 of each product guide are thus arranged in channel-form with legs 86 overlying one another and the free ends of the guides can be moved apart or moved together to expand or contract the guides to handle different size products. The frame and other parts of the machine are the same as those shown in Figs. 1 to 14, inclusive, and hence similar parts are given the same reference numerals but primed to distinguish the figures.

The modification of the present invention illustrated in Fig. 18 is characterized by the provision of a pair of product guides 85' and 86' which are each angle-shaped in cross section and have a flat upper leg 87 and aflatbottom leg The op-' 88, these legs tapering lengthwise from one end 89 to the other end 90 of these guides.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming Within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent 1. A bag package machine comprising a frame, a blower mounted in the frame at one end thereof, a bottom air guide and two side air guides mounted in the frame and extending from the blower, said bottom air guide having a bag edge holding free end portion, a bag holding table movably mounted in the frame and having one end disposed beneath said bag edge holding free end portion of the bottom air guide, a pair of spaced product guides mounted over the bottom air guide for closing movement together and opening movement apart, said product guides having front ends disposed adjacent to and behind said bag edge holding free end portion of the bottom air guide, and stop means adjacent said front ends of the product guides to limit the opening thereof, said table being pivotally connected as its other end to the frame and grounded, spaced contour blocks mounted on the table, a bag end holding member movably mounted on the table at the pivoted end thereof, said member having an upper end extending over the table, and a stiflly flexible bag holding shield adapted to rest on the table and on the spaced contour blocks thereon and removably held to the table by said bag end holding member.

2. A bag package machine comprising a frame, a blower mounted in the frame at one end thereof, a bottom air guide and two side air guides mounted in the frame and extending from the blower, said bottom air guide having a bag edge holding free end portion, a bag holding table movably mounted in the frame and having one end disposed beneath said bag edge holding free end portion of the bottom air guide, a pair of spaced product guides mounted over the bottom air guide for closing movement together and opening movement apart, said product guides having front ends disposed adjacent to and behind said bag edge holding free end portion of the bottom air guide, and stop means adjacent said front ends of the product guides to limit the opening thereof, said table and said bottom air guide being inclined upwardly from the bottom air guide to the table, said table being pivotally connected at its other end to the frame and grounded, spaced contour blocks mounted on the table, a bag end holding member movably mounted on the table at the pivoted end thereof, said member having an upper end extending over the table, and a stifily flexible bag holding shield adapted to rest on the table and on the spaced contour blocks thereon and removably held to the table by said bag end holding member.

3. A bag package machine comprising a frame, a blower mounted in the frame at one end thereof, a bottom air guide and two side air guides mounted in the frame and extending from the blower, said bottom air guide having a bag edge holding free end portion, a bag holding table movably mounted in the frame and having one end disposed beneath said bag edge holding free end portion of the bottom air guide, a pair of spaced product guides mounted over the bottom air guide for closing movement together and opening movement apart, said product guides having front ends disposed adjacent to and behind said bag edge holding free end portion of the bot-tom air guide, and stop means adjacent said front ends of the product guides to limit the opening thereof, said product guides each being in two pieces, Said pi 68 each being angle-shaped in cross section with flat legs and hinged together in channel-form for expanding or contacting the pieces of each guide.

4. A bag package machine comprising a frame, a blower mounted in the frame at one side thereof, a bottom air guide below said blower and forwardly in said frame, a pair of spaced product guides mounted adjustably over said bottom air guide, a bag holding table movably mounted in said frame and extending forward towards said bottom air guide, means to hold a supply of bags on said table, and a stifily flexible bag holding shield resting on said table and held in position by said bag holding means.

5. A bag package machine comprising a frame, a blower mounted in the frame at one side thereof, a bottom air guide below said blower and forwardly in said frame, a pair of spaced product guides mounted adjustably over said bottom air guide, a bag holding table movably mounted in said frame and extending forward towards said bottom air guide, means to hold a supply of bags on said table, and a. stifily flexible bag holding shield resting on said table and held in position by said bag holding means, said bottom air guide having side air guides at each side of said air blower in spaced apart divergent position whereby air is metered to the sides of the bags to open the sides firs-t before the center is expanded.

6. The combination of claim 5, wherein said frame includes block moans pivotally secured thereto, said block means being aligned with said spaced product guides, and means to adjust said blocks.

7. The combination or" claim 6, wherein said blocks include elongated slots, and adjusting bolts extending through said slots into said frame, whereby adjustable stop means to limit the opening of the product guides are provided.

8. The combination of claim 7, wherein said bag holding means comprises an L-shaped member, the vertical leg of said L-shaped member terminating in an inwardly curved upper end to overlie the bags, and the horizontal leg engages the end of said shield.

Nash May 20, 1952 Gerbe Mar. 23, 1954 

